A Travel Blog
Recently my husband took a short term job with Vermeer in Goes, Netherlands. This is a big adventure for us mid-western Americans! I have amended an old blog page I used a few years ago to keep friends and family updated about our life here. I will update periodically. Take care everyone! We miss you!
To read the most recent Blog, click below:
Food Highlight
5/7/25
White Asparagus
This time of year the Dutch love to get their fill of white asparagus. It only lasts a few weeks so they have to eat it while they can. It is in grocery stores and available in restaurants. We bought the above asparagus at the outdoor market in Goes. It has a milder flavor than the green asparagus that Americans are used to. But very good! We put seasoning on it and enjoyed it immensely.
Spring in Goes
A Dutch Discovery
5/7/25
Housing Shortage
A few weeks ago, one of the locals was telling me about the housing struggle in the Netherlands.
The country is approximately 16 square miles in area (41.5 square kilometers) and is home to 18 million people. That is a lot of people in a small area.
The government has quite a few rules and regulations about the environment. They don’t want trees taken down, farm land taken up, or pollution going into the air. Therefore there is limitations on how much building and construction is allowed.
In the meantime, there are hundreds if not thousands of people looking for housing. The few homes that are built are snatched up quickly. The apartments that are available for rent are claimed within hours.
Basically, the amount of construction does not equal the need for housing. This is one of the hot topics in government. Our expat rep told us that in the bigger cities like Den Haag and Rotterdam, there are expats on the street with no where to live.
Makes me thankful that we have had an apartment for the past 10 months, and that we found another home to move into in June.
I was going for a walk a few weeks ago and had to stop for these white Ganzen. They are very common in the Netherlands. You see them in city ponds and country fields. They are quite large and intimidating, but these cuties didn’t give me any trouble.
Recent Weather
5/7/25
We have been in Iowa for the past 2 weeks, but friends in Goes tell me it has been 28 degrees Celsius there, which is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That of course lasted about a week and now it is back to mid 50s.